Friday State News SummaryFri, 23 Feb 2018 05:19:03 ESTA state of emergency continues in Lansing because of flooding. The waters of the
Grand and Red Cedar Rivers and Sycamore Creek are not expected to recede until
sometime today after cresting Thursday. City officials say a water wall barrier has been
installed at Kalamazoo Street and US 127 from embankment to embankment and they
hope that will lessen flooding in the Urbandale neighborhood. Lansing Mayor Andy
Schor recommends residents in possible flood areas evacuate until the water recedes.
The Letts Community Center is serving as a shelter.

In Berrien County, more evacuations because of flooding. The sheriff's office says they
evacuated residents of the Meadow Stream Mobile Home Community in Sodus
township and some residents in Royalton Township. They say the evacuations are out
of an overabundance of caution. The American Red Cross is helping with providing
shelter for those evacuated from their homes.
There's also flooding in Barry and Clare Counties.

Crews continue to assess damage across lower-Michigan following historic flooding.
Many counties have declared a local state of emergency which is the first step in
getting state and federal funds to cover the cost of flood related damage. In Ionia
County, the Grand River has already crept up over its banks in Lowell, flowing to
certain neighborhoods. The river is expected to crest at about 18.5 feet Friday night,
less than a foot below the damaging 2013 levels.

In what he calls the "Marshall Plan for Talent," Governor Rick Snyder has unveiled a
plan to train Michiganders for high-demand, high-wage careers. He hopes to fill 811-
thousand jobs by the 2024, with an average salary of more than 60-thousand dollars.
To get the plan started Snyder is proposing a 100-million dollar investment from the
state for things like scholarships and stipends for low-income residents, incentives to
teachers and grants to schools among other things.

After a second mental examination, three teenagers accused in the fatal rock-throwing
case along I-75 in Genesee County have again been found competent to stand trial.
Last October, 18-year old Kyle Anger, 16-year old Mark Sekelsky and 15-year old
Trevor Gray, with two other friends, allegedly threw a six-pound rock off a Vienna
Township overpass. The rock smashed through a windshield killing 32-year old
Kenneth White of Mt. Morris.

Michigan is among a multi-state settlement reached with Takata over its defective
airbags. Attorney General Bill Schuette says the settlement, over allegations the
company had concealed safety issues with their airbag systems, concludes the
company's failure to timely disclose known safety defects. TK Holdings, Inc has agreed
to reimburse 44 states and the District of Columbia 650-million dollars for investigative
costs and civil penalty.

No school today in the Belding Area Schools in west Michigan after a threat that started
in New Mexico made a reference to Belding High School. On its Facebook page, the
district says the threat originated in New Mexico , but school is canceled today. At
least seven students were arrested in the New Mexico threat.

A rollover crash in Grand Rapids has resulted in two people being killed. WOOD TV
reports police say the suv crashed and rolled onto the porch of a house after midnight.
Police say no one in the home was hurt.

The Michigan House has approved legislation introduced by state Representative Tom
Barrett establishing English as the official state language.
But Progress Michigan says this bill is nothing but yet another racist dog-whistle from
the legislature that seeks to divide rather than unify.
Barrett disagrees saying this bill simply codifies the existing practice of requiring
government bodies to perform official functions in English, saying its common sense.